Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-02-27
THE ENGLISH SYSTEM.
Methods of Voting Adopted in England and
Australia.

Australia.
In a recent number of his magazine,
the North 4mericdn Reriec. Mr.. Thorndike
Rice describes the present system Of bal
loting in England, and contends that with
suitable notifications it should be adopted
in this country, for he regards our methods
of voting as corrupt and degrading.
The English system was established by
what is generally known rs the ballot act
of 1872 and is based on the methods which
have been used in the Australian colonies
for a quarter of a century and more. In
the first place candidates for parliament
are nominated in writing by two registered
electors of the county or borough and
with the written assent of eight other
electors. This nomination paper must
be delivered TO the returning officer by the
candidate or his proposer or seconder
in person, and that official is re-
guired 10 publish the names of candidates.
The "hallot paper consists OF a paper
containing the names and descriptions oil
the candidates. and on the back of each
ballot is printed a number, which is also
printed on the face of a counterfeit at
tached 10 il.
At the time OF voting the ballot paper
must be marked on both sides with an Off
cial mark, and delivered within the polling
station to the voter, whose number on the
register OF voters is required to be marked
on the counterfoil.
The voter takes the properly marked
ballot into n private compartment ut the
polling station, and there, with a pencil
provided for the purpose, places q cross on
the right hand side and opposite to the
name of each candidate for whom he
votes. Then folding it up so as to show
the official mark on the back he leaves the
commandment, exhibits the mark only 10
the presiding officer and in his presence
deposits the ballot in the box. Directions
for the guidance of the voter arc p~lacarded
outside of every polling station aud in
every compartment. Ii he spoil a ballot
pape through inadvertence he can obtiin
another. Each candidate nav appoint
one officer To attend at each polling place,
and all the officers and agents must take
the oath of secrcsy. At the close OF the
polls the boxes are sealed and taken charge
of by the returning officer, who opens the
boxes and counts the votes in the presence
of the agents of the candidates. In case of
a tie the returning officer gives the casting
vote, but all persons, such rs agents, clerks
and messengers paid for services at an
election are debarred from voting. The
costs are paid by the returning officer, who
must be reimbursed by the candidates or
their proposers or seconders in equal
shares.
BASIS q REFORM.
Mr.. Rice thinks that this system of bal
loting is much superior To orr own, bu he
would use it only rs q basis for a radical
reform in our method. though he does not
undertake TO define the notifications
which he regards rs necessary. He would
also adopt the plan of making the expenses
of an election a charge upon the public,
for the two chief evils of II present
system seem to him to he ''the unlimited
and virtually compulsory disburse-
mcnt of money by the candidate or his
supporters, and the frequent failure
of the present mode OF voting to correctly
record the popular verdict The English
and Australian plan OF balloting he finds
prevents bribery and corruption, and the
assumption by the State of the expense
of elections would help 10 purify our
politics by taking away from money its
power in elections.
OF course, if ELECTIONS were conducted at
the cost of the government some reStrlc-
tons would need TO be imposed 10 present
mems placing their names on the list oi
candidates from mere love OF notoricty. In
Australia every candidate IL required to
deposit a fixed sum before his name is
entered, and il he fails 10 poll more than a
certain proportion OF the votes obtained 10y
that one of the successful candidates who
receives the smallest number of votes, the
deposit il forfeited to the State.
In England it has been proposed to make
any candidate responsible for his W eX'
penses who fails TO poll one-eighth OF the
constituency at least. Another proposition
is to require q large listo Of indorslng voters,
and thus indirectly to abolish the corrup'
tons of primary politics" for the candi'
dates would he put up by thepeople rather
than hy n caucus or nominating conNrn-
tion.-Ncr York Sun.